Serena Williams and Andy Murray book third round passages in Cincinnati

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Updated 1129 GMT (1929 HKT) August 15, 2013

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World No. 1 Serena Williams is bidding to win this event for the first time in her career.

Story highlights

Andy Murray back on form at the Cincinnati Masters

World No.2 beats Mikhail Youzhny of Russia in straight sets

Joined in the third round by Novak Djokovic

Serena Williams battles past Canadian Eugenie Bouchard

Serena Williams was extended to three sets by one of the next generation of stars hoping to assume her No.1 mantle before advancing to the third round of the WTA event in Cincinnati Wednesday.

19-year-old Canadian Eugenie Bouchard is ranked 62nd in the world but showed enough to suggest she will be aiming higher very soon.

She took the opening set 6-4 before Williams turned the match around in her trademark fashion to level a one set apiece.

Bouchard, who beat former World No.1 Ana Ivanovic at Wimbledon this year, kept battling but Williams had too much experience to run out a 4-6 6-2 6-2 winner in one hour 47 minutes.

Williams is coming off winning the title in Toronto at the weekend as she continues her dominant form on the WTA this season.

Only surprise defeats at the Australian Open to Sloane Stephens and at Wimbledon to eventual runner-up Sabine Lisicki have interrupted her winning run and she will be heavy favorite to defend her U.S. Open crown later this month.